Filling machine



July 4, 1939. o. LARSEN 2,164,530

FILLING MACHINE Filed March 12, 1938 4 Sheefis-Sheet l I L M I July 4, 1939.

o. LARSEN FILLING MACHINE '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 12, 1938 July 4, 1939. o. LARSEN 2,164,530

FILLING MACHINE Filed March 12, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 4, 1939.

Filed March 12, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILLING MACHINE Olaf Larsen, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to The Creamery Package Mtg. Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois -Application March 12, 193 8; Serial No. 195,635

'13 Claims.

filling head but also removes them from the fill-v ing head. i v

A further object is to provide such a construction in which the filling head is rotated continuouslyand in which the rotary sweep is driven with a step-by-step movement.

A further object is to provide such a construction in which a cap is applied to the container during the period between steps of the rotary sweep.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

In the drawings, in which an embodiment of my invention isshown,

Figure 1 is a vertical elevational view of a filling machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section through the filling head and rotary sweep;

Fig. 3 is a section substantially onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale substantially on the line l of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the rotary sweep and associated parts.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the construction shown comprises a rotary filler head I, a rotary container carrier 2 rotatable with and underneath the filler head, a rotary sweep or.

star wheel 3 for feedingbottles or containers to the container carrier 2 andremoving them therefrom, a table 4 on which the containers rest as they are moved along by the sweep 3, stationary deflecting means 5 for guiding the containers in their passage from the table 4 to the container carrier 2 and for guiding the containers in their passage from the container carrier 2 to the table. a vertically reciprocable capper 6 'for applying caps to the bottles or containers during the stationary period of the'sweep 3, anelectric motor 1, and transmission from the electric motor to the rotary filler head I, the rotary container carrying head 2, the rotary step-by-step driven star wheel 3, and the reciprocating capper 6.

The machine is designed for filling bottles or containers with a liquid such as milk or the like. The rotary filler head comprises a reservoir 8 for the liquid to be handled, having any suitable means for maintaining a supply of liquid therein, anda plurality of vertically reciprocable filling valves or nozzles 9 which are engaged by the upper ends of the bottles or containers as these containers are moved up and down by the vertical reciprocation of the pedestals l 0 on which the containers rest.

Means are provided for eifecting vertical adjustment of the reservoir 8 and the filling nozzles. 9 carried thereby to accommodate bottles or containers of differentheights. This vertical adjustment may be efiected by providing a screwthreaded connection ll between the sleeve l2 carrying the filler head and the rotary drive shaft l3 on which the sleeve I2 is mounted.

The rotary bottle carrying head comprises a rotarypedestal carrierv l4 secured-to the drive shaft l3 anda plurality of vertically reciprocable pedestals II] on which the bottles are placed. The pedestals III are guided in their vertical reciprocation as the pedestal-carrying rotor I4 revolves by means of a cam l5 engaged by rollers IS on the lower ends of the pedestal slides H. In order to insure that the pedestals are brought down after they have been raised, a suitable guide or cam member I8 is providedwhich engages-the upper, edges of the rollers after the bottles have been filled to insure that the bottles are moved away from the filling nozzles or valves 9.

The table on which the bottles rest as they are fed to and from the pedestals on the rotary head is provided with a suitable rail Hi to keep the bottles from falling ofl'the table. For guidingthe bottles in their movement from the table to the pedestals and from the pedestals back to the table, stationaryguides or deflectors 20 and 2| are provided having properly designed deflector edges 22, 23, and 24 engaged by the sides of the bottles in their movement.

Each pedestal is provided with a supporting surface 25 on which the bottom of the bottle rests and with a retaining flange or. arm 26 engaged by the side of the bottle to insure that the bottle tobe filled will be removed from the table onto the pedestal and to insure that the bottle will be removed from the pedestal onto the table after it has been filled. The sweep 8 is given its step-by-step movementby means of a cam member 21 on the pedestal l0 which engages an arm of a star wheel 28, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, to cause the star wheel 28 to rotate which in turn will cause the feed sweep 3 to revolve through 90 by reason of the gears 29 and 30, the gear 29 being rotatable with the transtatable with the bottle feeding sweep a.

It will be noted from a study of: Figs. 3, 4, and 5 that the rotary sweep 3 which feeds the bottles toward and away frbm the rotary bottle carrying head is driven intermittently while the rotary bottle carrying head 2 is driven continuously. Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 5, Fig. 3

shows the position of the pedestals just as the cam member 21 on a pedestal II) is about to engage an arm of the star wheel 28 which actuates the rotary sweep 3, and Fig. 5 shows the position of the pedestals just after the cam 21 on a pedestal has disengaged an arm of the sweep-actuating star wheel 28. It will be noted that the cam 21 on the pedestal is in driving engagement with an arm on the star wheel 28 during only about a 45 movement of the pedestal and that after the cam 21 of one pedestal disengages the star wheel 26, the pedestal carying head will have to move another 45 before the cam 21 of a succeeding pedestal engages the star wheel 23, so that the actuating star wheel, and consequently the rotary sweep, will remain stationary during about a 45 movement of the pedestal-carrying head; that is to say, during the time that it takes the pedestalcarrying head to move from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 3. The sweepactuating star wheel will be moving substantially from the time that the pedestals are in the position shown in Fig. 3 until the time when they arrive at the position shown in Fig. 5 and will be stationary substantially from the time that the pedestals are in the position shown in Fig. 5 until the pedestals are in the position shown in Fig. 3. During the period when the actuating star wheel and consequently the bottle-actuating rotary sweep are stationary, the operator will have time to place a bottle in position A with respect to the star wheel, and the bottle-capping mechanism 6 will be reciprocated to apply a cap to the bottle occupying position E.

In the normal operation of the machine, during a rest period of the rotary sweep, there will be bottles occupying positions A, B, E, and F wifli respect to the rotary sweep and there will of course be bottles in position on all of the pedestals, as shown in positions D, G, and H. During the period in which the rotary sweep 3 is moving, which will be substantially the time it takes a bottle to move from position D in Fig. 3 to position C in Fig. 5, the rotary sweep 3 will move a bottle along the table from position E to position F and will move the bottle which the operator has placed in position A into position B and will move the bottle which was originally occupying position B over into position C into the path of the pickup and discharge arm 26 on the pedestal. The movement of the bottle from position B to position C is controlled by the guide edge 3| on the deflector. Also, as the pedestal is moved from position D to position C, the timing is such that the arm on the rotary sweep 3 W11 lbe moved out of the way ahead of the bottle so as not to interfere with its movement from the pedestal onto the table. After the cam 21 on the pedestal has disengaged the arm of the actuating star wheel 28, continued movement of the pedestal will cause the pick-up rail 26 on the pedestal to engage the side of the bottle which has been placed in position C and this pick-up arm will carry the bottle along, sweeping it off the table 4 onto the bottlesupporting surface 25 of the pedestal. In removing the bdttle from the pedestal and causing the bottle to move from position D to position E,

*aioasso deflector 2| to force the bottle along, causing the bottle to be removed from the pedestal to the table. As shown in Fig. 5, the capping head 6 is 5 so positioned that when it is reciprocated during the rest period of the rotary sweep, it will apply a cap to the bottle occupying position E.

It will be noted by referring to Fig. 2 that the bottle-engaging surface 25 of the pedestal travels-10 underneath the thin table. 4 whereas the bottleengaging arm 26 travels above the table so as to engage the bottle resting on the table.

The transmission from the motor 'I to the rotary shaft. [3 which causes rotation of the filling head I 15 and the bottle-oarying head-2 comprises a belt 32 driven from the motor pulley 33, a pulley 34 driven by this belt, a worm 35 rotatable with the pulley 34, a worm wheel 36 engaged by the worm 35, a shaft 31 by which the worm wheel is 20 mounted, a bevel pinion 38 mounted on the shaft 31, and a bevel gear 39 meshing with the bevel pinion 38 and mounted on the rotary shaft l3 which carries the filling head I and with which the bottle carrying head 2 is rotatable. The 5 transmission from the aforementioned worm wheel 36 to the reciprocating capper plunger 40 comprises a crank pin 4| secured to the worm wheel 36, and a connecting rod 42 pivotally connected with the crank pin at its lower end and 30 pivotally connected at its upper end with the lower end of the reciprocating capper plunger 40. The capper mechanism may be of any usual or suitable type comprising a capper head 43 for applying the caps to the bottles and a cap reser- 35 voir 44 from which the caps are fed one by one in position 'to be applied to the bottles. The capper head is yieldingly mounted between coil springs 45 surrounding the slide 46 on which the capper head 43 and reservoir 44 are mounted. The 40 plunger 40 is vertically reciprocable in the bearing sleeve 41 on which the sweep 3 is rotatably mounted (Fig. 2). The motor I may be pivotally mounted at 48 and provided with an adjusting screw 49 mounted in a downward extension 50 45 in the base of the motor so that by adjusting this screw the tension of the drive belt 32 may be adjusted.

In use, the motor is put in operation. The attendant supplies empty bottles one at a time dur- 50 ing the rest period of the rotary sweep 3 to the space A on the table between two arms of the rotary sweep 3. When the rotary pedestal carrying head 2 moves so that the cam 21 on the pedestal engages an arm on the transmission star 55 ,wheel 28, the bottle-actuating sweep 3 will be moved to move a bottle from position B to position 0 into position to be engaged by the arm or flange 26 on the pedestal III. The parts are so designed that about a 45 movement of the 60 pedestal-carrying head will cause this 90 movement of the bottle feeding star wheel. This will move the bottle along the table from position B to position C so that it will be in position C in time to be engaged by the bottle-engaging arm 65 26 on the same pedestal by which the transmission star wheel was actuated, as can be seen by reference to Fig. 5. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 3 that the filled bottle which is on the pedestal in position D which is approaching the re- 70 ceiving station will be deflected from the arm 26 of the pedestal by the deflecting edge 24 in time to clear the way for the reception by the arm 26 of the empty bottle in position C at the receiving station and also the timing is such that the bottle 75 tainers to said rotary head and discharging fllled and thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Container flllin'g apparatus comprising a rotary head rotatable about a vertical axis for supporting containers as they are carried by the rotary head,.and means for feeding empty concontainers from said rotary head comprising a rotary sweep rotatable about a vertical axis having peripherally opening pockets for receiving empty containers to be fed to said rotary head'and for receiving filled containers from said rotary head, stationary deflector means for deflecting emptycontainers from said pockets onto said rotary head and for deflecting filled containers from said rotary'head into said pockets, means for driving said rotary head continuously, means 1 for driving said rotary sweep with a step-by-step movement, and means for applying a cap to a con-' -tainer during the period between steps of said rotary sweep comprising a vertically reciprocable plunger coaxial with said rotary sweep.

2. Container filler apparatus comprising a rotary head rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of container-supporting pedestals carried by said head, each pedestal having a horizontal container-supporting surface and a sweep. above said surface, a container-supporting table having a container-supporting surface underneath which container-engaged portions of the container-supporting surfaces of the pedestals pass and above which the sweeps of the piedestals pass, and. means for moving containers along said table into the path of said sweeps whereby the sweeps move the containers from the table onto the containersupporting surfaces of the pedestals.

3. Container flller apparatus comprising a rotary head rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of container-supporting pedestals carried by said head, each pedestal having a horizontal container-supporting surface and a sweep above said surface, a container-supporting table having a container-supporting surface underneath which container-engaged portions of the container-supporting surfaces of the pedestals pass and above which the sweeps of the pedestals pass, and means for moving containers along said table into the path of said sweeps whereby the sweeps move the containers from the table onto the containersupporting surfaces of the pedestals comprising a rotary sweep rotatable about a vertical axis having peripherally opening pockets for receiving the empty containers to be fed to the pedestals.

4. Container filler apparatus comprising a rotary head rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of container-supporting pedestals carried by said head, each pedestal having a horizontal container-supporting surface and a sweep above said surface, a container-supporting table having a container-supporting surface underneath which the container-supporting surfaces of the pedestals pass and above which the sweeps of the pedestals pass, means for moving containers along the sweeps move the containers from the table onto the container-supporting surfaces of the pedestals comprising a rotary sweep rotatable about a vertical axis having peripherally opening pockets for. receiving the empty containers to'be fed to the pedestals, means for driving said rotary head continuously, and means for driving said rotary sweep with a step-by-step movement.

5. Container filler apparatus comprising a rotary head rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of container-supporting pedestals carried by said head, each pedestal having a horizontal container-supporting surface and a sweep above said surface, a container-supporting table having a container-supporting surface underneathwhich the container-supporting surfaces of the pedestals pass and above which gfthe sweeps of the pedestals pass, means for moving containers along said table 'into the path of said sweeps whereby the sweeps move the containers from the table onto the container-supporting surfaces of the pedestals comprising a rotary sweep rotatable about a. vertical axis having peripherally opening pockets for receiving the'empty containers to' be fed to the pedestals, and deflecting means cooperating with said rotary sweep and pedestal sweeps for guiding the containers in their movement from the table to the pedestals.

6. Container filler apparatus comprising rotary head rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of container-supporting pedestals. carried by said head, each pedestal having a horizontal container-supporting surface and a sweep above said surface, a container-supporting table having a container-supporting surface underneath which the container-supporting surfaces of the pedestals pass and above which the sweeps of the pedestals pass, and guide means cooperating with said pedestal sweeps for moving containers from the pedestals and onto the container-supporting surface of the table. I

7. Container filler apparatus comprising a rotary head rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of container-supporting pedestals carried by said head, each pedestal having a horizontal container-supporting surface and a sweep above said-surface, a container-supportingtable having a container-supporting surface underneath which the container-supporting surfaces of the pedestals pass and above which the sweeps of the pedestals pass, guide means cooperating with said pedetal' and means for moving containers along said table into the path of said sweeps and for moving filled containers from said pedestals onto said table comprising a rotary sweep rotatable about a vertical axis having peripherally opening pockets for receiving empty containers to be fed to said pedestals and for receiving filled containers from said pedestals.

said table into the path of said sweeps whereby 9. Container-filler apparatus comprising a ro- 7s tary'head rotatable about a vertical axis, a. plurality of container-supporting pedestals carried by said head, each pedestal having a horizontal container-supporting surface and a sweep above said surface, a container-supporting table having a container-supporting surface underneath which the container-supporting surfaces of the pedestals pass and above which the sweeps of the pedestals pass, means for moving containers along said table into the path of said sweeps and for moving filled containers from said pedestals onto said table comprising a rotary sweep rotatable about a vertical axis having peripherally opening pockets for receiving empty containers to be fed to said pedestals and for receiving filled containers from said pedestals, and stationary deflector means cooperating with said sweep for guiding the containers in their movement from the table onto the pedestals and in their movement from the pedestals onto the table.

10. Container filling apparatus comprising a stationary loading table, a head rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of container-supporting seats carried by said head, sweeps carried by said head for sweeping the containers from said loading table onto the seats, and a rotary sweep for moving containers beyond the orbit of said rotary swe'ep onto said loading table in position to be removed by the sweeps carried by said head.

11. Container filling apparatus comprising a stationary loading table, a head rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of container-supporting seats carried by said head, sweeps carried by said head for sweeping the containers from said loading table onto the seats, a rotary sweep for moving containers beyond the orbit of said rotary sweep onto said loading table in position to be removed by the sweeps carried by said head, and a stationary guide for engaging a container when propelled by said rotary sweep cooperating with said rotary sweep to position the container on the loading table.

12. Container filling apparatus comprising a stationary loading table, a head rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of container-supporting seats carried by said head, sweeps carried by said head for sweeping the containers from said loading table onto the seats, a rotary sweep for moving containers beyond the orbit of said rotary sweep onto said loading table in position to be removed by the sweeps carried by said head, an unloading table, and a stationary guide for engaging containers on the seats and cooperating with the sweeps carried by the rotary head for removing the containers from their seats and guiding them to said unloading table.

13. Container filling apparatus comprising a stationary loading table, a head rotatable about a vertical axis, a plurality of container-supporting seats carried by said head, sweeps carried by said head for sweeping the containers from said load-' 'ing table onto the seats, a rotary sweep for moving containers beyond the orbit of said rotary sweep onto said loading table in position to be removed by the sweeps carried by said head, an unloading table, and a stationary guide for engaging containers on the seats and cooperating with the sweeps carried by the rotary head for removing the containers from their seats and guiding them to said unloading table, said rotary sweep being so positioned that the containers removed from the seats onto the unloading table will be further propelled by said rotary sweep.

OLAF LARSEN. 

